Reverend John Pringle has been Pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Bridgewater, New Jersey since January 1986.  In the nearly two decades since his arrival, many enhancements have taken place at Holy Trinity, but Father John’s primary goal remains the same -- to keep the parish vibrant and alive in the Holy Sprit, open to His influence in our daily lives.

John Pringle was born in West Orange, New Jersey.  As a youngster, his was a typical Catholic family, practicing their faith and supporting one another.  This was especially important when his father passed away when John was 10. Today, Father John’s mother, who is 90, and his brother Robert, still live in West Orange.

John lived a close-knit life with his mother and brother until he left to serve in the Air Force.  There, he trained as a cook, eventually being assigned to a radar site in Alaska where he supported 70 hungry men.

Father John sees his tour of duty in Alaska as a special gift from God because it allowed him to come to the most important decision of his life – to enter the priesthood.  As a cook in this remote location, John Pringle had a wonderful opportunity to examine his faith.  On duty one day and off the next, John had time to think and meditate.  He read the Bible every day, trying to understand the truth about his faith, and finally coming to the conclusion that the Catholic faith truly was the one true faith.  He also decided that, come heck or high water, he would be a priest.

This decision was not simple to implement.  After all, the young man had not been to parochial school where he might have learned Latin, nor did he have an advanced education.  In the early 1960’s, vocations were plentiful; indeed, there were more applicants than openings.  But John’s military training came in handy, because with the determination and perseverance that he learned in the Air Force, he succeeded in attracting the attention of the Sacred Heart Fathers in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.

Seminary was intense as he participated in the Sacred Heart Father’s Lay Vocations program. Taught by their priests, John was educated in the Catholic faith.  Ordained on September 9, 1972, Father John had a series of assignments teaching religion, spending a year in Lenox, Massachusetts, seven years in Texas (San Antonio and Houston) and two years in California (Corona and Berkley).  Then in 1980, Father John heard there was an opening for a diocesan priest in the Diocese of Trenton. He applied and was accepted.

While serving at St. Francis Cathedral, the Diocese of Trenton split into two, and the Diocese of Metuchen was formed. Holy Trinity became part of the new diocese. On Thanksgiving Day, 1985, Bishop McCarrick called Father John, asking him to lead Holy Trinity as its Pastor.  He arrived in Bridgewater on January 6, 1986.

Over the years, Father John has tried to celebrate his sacred mission to engage the parishioners to live their Catholic faith.  He sees his role to support the people in their faithful activities, and to reinforce the faith through his sermons and actions.  He believes that the example of the Pastor is the Holy Trinity made visible, and believes that his actions must demonstrate Jesus in the world.  His greatest goal is to keep the people of the parish open to the influence of the Holy Sprit in their lives, to allow them to grow in their Catholic faith.

Father John is proud that the parishioners of Holy Trinity are taking seriously the call to give time and talent to uplift the community.  He points to the many organizations that are working to make the parish better, and applauds the way people are both open and committed to their faith.  Over 25 stewardship opportunities are flourishing in the parish.

Father John is proudest of his well-balanced leadership of the parish.  He is supported by an excellent Parish Council, which works closely and consultively with him. He also believes he has a great spiritual partner in Deacon Mike Forestall, who for 25 years has demonstrated a reliable, conscientious commitment to the Parish and to his faith.   Father John also feels he has great cooperation from the people of Holy Trinity, who are committed to making it a better place to gather and worship.  He points to the recent success of the Organ Drive and the plans for the new Parish Center as examples of the big things made possible by small contributions by individuals.  This, Father John points out, is really what living the Catholic faith means and how a group of people worshiping God becomes a true community of believers.